The house was built by Sir John Thynne,
and designed mainly by Robert
Smythson, after the original priory was
destroyed by fire in 1567. It took 12 years to complete and is
widely regarded as one of the finest examples of Elizabethan
architecture in Britain. Longleat is currently occupied by Alexander Thynn, 7th
Marquess of Bath, a direct descendant.

A leat is an artificial waterway or channel such as that which
supplies a watermill.

Longleat House and the Thynnes

Longleat was purchased by Sir John Thynn in 1541. He was the first
of the Thynne 'dynasty' - the family name was Thynn or Thynne in
the 16th century, later Thynne only, but the present head of the
family reverted to the spelling Thynn in the 1980s.

Sir James Thynn (1605–1670) who employed Sir Christopher Wren to do modifications to the
house

Thomas Thynn (1646–1682)

Thomas Thynne, 1st Viscount Weymouth (1640–1714) started the
house's large book collection. Formal gardens, canals, fountains
and parterres were created by George London with
sculptures by Arnold Quellin and
Chevalier David. The Best Gallery,
Long Gallery, Old Library and Chapel were all added due to
Wren.

Thomas Thynne,
2nd Marquess of Bath (1765–1837) employed Jeffry Wyatville to modernise the house and
received advice from Humphrey Repton
on the grounds. Wyatville demolished several parts of the house,
including Wren's staircase, and replaced them with galleries and a
grand staircase. He also constructed many outbuildings including
the Orangery.

Alexander
Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath (born 1932) is an artist and mural
painter with a penchant for mazes and labyrinths (he created the
hedge maze, the love labyrinth, the sun maze, the lunar labyrinth
and King Arthur's maze on the property).

The house is still used as the private residence of the Thynn
family.

Longleat House tour

The tour of the house comprises:

The Elizabethan Great Hall, with a minstrels' gallery

The lower east corridor, a wide room originally used as servant
access to the main rooms. This now holds fine furniture and
paintings. Also on display are two visitor books, one showing the
signatures of Elizabeth II and Philip,
the other Albert (George VI) and Elizabeth
(the Queen Mother).

The Bathroom and bath-bedroom: the bath is a cooper built lead
lined tub. Originally filled by hand from buckets and drained the
same way, taps and drains are now provided and the lead lining was
replaced in 2005. The room holds the first plumbed in flush
lavatory in the house.

The State Dining Room, with a Meissen porcelain centrepiece on
the table to facilitate flagging conversations

Longleat Woods

The Longleat Forest is also home to a holiday resort operated by Center Parcs. who operate several sites in the
Uk in forest areas, based on offering Activity Holidays in a rural
parkland setting with accommodation in chalets or lodges and
caravan parks.